IF the communities flanking the River Severn remain devastated by six weeks of almost constant flooding, they're also labouring at the start of a long, slow mop-up, and living in trepidation of what the rest of the winter holds in store.

You don't need to be an expert to realise much of what's important in all of that.

Ground that's waterlogged has obviously passed its best drainage point, for instance. The channel down which the Severn travels is too shallow to hold such volumes of water. Its natural floodplain remains just that, no matter how much we've built on it and would wish otherwise.

Although more rain has fallen this year than in any since the late 19th Century, the Severn's susceptibility to flooding has risen with alarming regularity during the past decade.

So, it's difficult for the layman to resist the thought that there's something more than climate change to explain why large swathes of the county has been underwater for so long recently.

As a consequence, it's also inevitable that, when someone with Mark Holtham's credentials stands up and outlines his concern, the public will sit up and take notice. Because they want answers.

We don't plan to take sides here so far as the skills or experience of the staff at the Environment Agency or British Waterways are concerned.

But a couple of Mr Holtham's assertions do have an irresistible sound.

Firstly, the lament about cost than value is a familiar one. You need only recall Railtrack's claims on track maintenance before the Hatfield crash, and their action after it, to fear parallels with another part of our infrastructure.

Secondly, why don't many other major rivers flood so much more often now than they used to?

Before the next downpour, all kinds of questions need to be answered.